Aaah...I have long awaited writing this chapter. It's been playing in my head for days now, and I can finally fit it into the story. Anyway, to those of you who've been reviewing, thank you so much. I can't keep responding to every single review individually because it's gotten a little too voluminous. However, I'll do what I can. To Amber, thanks for the support and enthusiasm. To Funky in Fishnets, I'll be trying to include more description of the characters' clothing, and thanks for the positive response to the Dudley Boyz hospital room scene, I had a lot of fun writing it and hoped it would get a few laughs. To Samantha, I'm glad you took the time to read this fic even though you never got a chance to watch ECW. May I recommend that you rent some of their old ppv videos sometime? They're really a treat; never again will we be fortunate enough to witness wrestling quite like that. Anyway, to everyone else who's been reading, again, thank you. I write these things just to get away from the rest of my day for a while and it means so much to know that other people are enjoying it. :tear: Anyway, enough sappiness from me, let's get on with the story!
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Lita slammed the door to her hotel room and plopped down on the bed, wiping furiously at the tears that refused to stop streaming from her eyes. What Rob had said really cut her...Maybe she wasn't ready to lead this team. How'd she get herself into this? It'd been a social project at first; now someone she cared deeply about was in the hospital. Sure, he was fine, but...it could have been a lot worse.
"Triple H must be happy his plan's working so well," Lita thought, sniffling.
A knock sounded on her door. She kept silent, hoping whoever was now soliciting her attention would just give up and go away.
"Lita, I know you're in there mami."
"Leave me alone, Rey."
"Not a chance, querida."
"I said go away!" she yelled, breaking into sobs again.
Rey's voice was soft. "I know you don't mean that. Come on, I know you better and I've known you longer than anyone here. And I know mi amigita that I met in Mexico would never turn away her favorite luchador. Now let me in."
Lita let him in, giggling through her tears. "You always appeal to my better nature."
"And sometimes you make me forget you even have a better nature," Rey joked. "Now tell me what's going on. And tell me everything."
"Evolution...They've been threatening me, trailing me, playing mind games...The first week after ECW made our debut on RAW, Orton cornered me in a back hallway before the show. He said Triple H had a message, something about any beast will die if you cut off its head or cut out its heart. I didn't understand then, but I do now. They meant me. I guess technically I'm the head of this..."
"And I can assure you you're the heart, too," Rey told her. "None of us would have signed up for this if it hadn't been you who asked."
Lita started to protest, but Rey cut her off.
"It's true. And what you're saying makes sense. Evolution tried to single you out first. When you couldn't be intimidated, they started taking out people you obviously care about. They knew it would hurt you if they hurt Spike since you're so protective over him and he's so loyal to you."
"And what if they came for you next?" Lita whispered. "Or Tommy, or Stevie, or any of you." She shook her head fiercely. "I won't allow it. I may have started out as a leader, but now I'm just a liability. I've put you all in danger because of my pride. I demanded too much, I was too condescending, too arrogant. And it's everyone else they'll make pay." A quizzical look settled on her face. "Funny, though, that Triple H didn't try to take out Tommy first, since he's the one who has the title shot against him."
"You really think this has anything to do with the title shot?" Rey questioned. "Triple H is arrogant; he won't deign to see Tommy as a threat. No, mamacita, he's after you. You bruised his ego when you were out there in the ring, making demands, getting him and his little flunkies beat up. He may have even been able to deal with it too, except you're a woman, and that made it ten times worse for him."
"I'm going to walk away then," she told him resolutely. "I'll have someone else take over and I'll leave you alone. That way, I'll be the only one having to pay for my actions."
"Not a chance, hermosa," Rey grinned at her. "You're stuck with us. We'd never let you leave. Come here," he folded his arms around her and lay her head on his chest, stroking her hair. "You expect us to trust you and follow you, but you've gotta trust us. These guys would do anything for you, and you can't be afraid of that. Now tell me, how do you feel right now with me holding you?"
"Part of me feels trapped, nervous, flightful," Lita admitted. "But the other part feels safe, protected."
"Trust that part," Rey whispered. "Shut down the other."
Lita nodded and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to her old friend. He continued to stroke her hair soothingly. "Do you trust me, mamacita?" he whispered.
She nodded, a content smile spreading across her tear-streaked face.
"Lie down."
She sat up and looked at him, her eyes wide.
"Trust me. That's all I'm asking."
She laid back on the bed slowly, keeping her eyes on him the entire time.
"Close your eyes."
She did as she was told, her body rigid with tension.
"Tell me how you feel."
"Vulnerable," she whispered through gritted teeth. "Open to attack."
"It's still just me here, Li. It's just me, Rey-Rey." She felt the bed shift as she lowered himself over her, if she tried even a little to sit up, they'd be touching, and her eyes squeezed more tightly shut. "Trust me," he whispered again, his voice soft against her ear. She relaxed a little, but her muscles were still clenched stiff and she knew she'd be sore for it later.
She felt something, suddenly, or thought she felt something high on her cheekbone. It was a light, feathery, barely-there touch, and it took her a while to realize what it was. Butterfly kisses, moving gently all over her face. Rey's long eyeslashes touching her in the softest way possible.
She relaxed, her breathing became more even, and she drifted off into that middle ground right before sleep comes. Then, the kisses stopped, and she felt the bed shift again as Rey got away from over her and stood up on the floor. She fluttered her eyes open at him.
"What was that about?"
He looked away from her. "No se que estaba pensando..."
"Dammit, Rey, talk to me."
His breathing was heavy; his chest rose and fell dramatically. Small beads of perspiration dotted his brow. "You had to trust me. And I had to show you that I wouldn't take advantage of that trust. Even...even if I wanted to."
He laughed shortly. "I guess I'm having to trust you, trust our friendship to say this, but, I wanted so badly to touch you...to kiss you...but," he shrugged. "You were vulnerable, and you were hurting, and it wouldn't have been right for me to use that. Even if you had kissed me back, even if you had responded, you would have hated me for it later."
She shook her head in confusion. "I could never hate you, Rey."
"Maybe not, but you could resent me. Or resent what we did together if we weren't careful. And I couldn't stand for you to ever regret a second we spend together. I've seen the way he looks at you..."
"Who?"
"Of course you wouldn't pick up on it. All the guys look at you like that to some extent, so you probably assume it's just typical male behavior. But, I've seen the way he looks at you...and I see the way you look back at him. And you certainly don't look at all of us like that. And if you'll trust, if you'll be open, I think you two can be very happy together."
"Rey, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Up here, you don't," he tapped her forehead. "But down here," he grazed the skin over her heart with his fingertips. "You know."
"So what do you suggest I do?"
"Tell everyone what's going on. Show them you trust them, and they'll do the same for you. We're a group of people who have never had anything handed to us, never had a friend that didn't want something in return. So it's hard, to all come together now. But if you're our head, and you're our heart," he smiled at her. "I think we can do it."
He walked to her door, and Lita followed him.
"You get some sleep now, mamacita, and think about how you're going to explain everything to the rest of the team." He picked up her hand and laid a tender kiss on her palm. "I'll see you in the morning."
"'Night," Lita whispered as she shut the door, and went to get ready for her first peaceful sleep in a while.
Rob walked down the hall towards Lita's room, two half-pints of Ben & Jerry's Moosetracks icecream in hand as he practiced his apology speech. He looked up to see Lita's door open as she let Rey out of her room, and him kissing her hand tonight.
Rob felt his heart drop all the way down all eighteen floors to land somewhere in the lobby. He turned around and headed dejectedly back to his room.
"How could I have ever thought the perfect woman didn't already have someone? And even if she didn't, how could I have ever thought she'd have me?"
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I don't know why, but I really love this chapter. This, and the chapter I wrote in "There for You" where a drunk Raven tries to propose by slipping his keyring on Lita's finger are quite possibly my two favorite things I've ever written. I don't know why. Anyway, what matters is, tell me how YOU liked it!
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Lita slammed the door to her hotel room and plopped down on the bed, wiping furiously at the tears that refused to stop streaming from her eyes. What Rob had said really cut her...Maybe she wasn't ready to lead this team. How'd she get herself into this? It'd been a social project at first; now someone she cared deeply about was in the hospital. Sure, he was fine, but...it could have been a lot worse.
"Triple H must be happy his plan's working so well," Lita thought, sniffling.
A knock sounded on her door. She kept silent, hoping whoever was now soliciting her attention would just give up and go away.
"Lita, I know you're in there mami."
"Leave me alone, Rey."
"Not a chance, querida."
"I said go away!" she yelled, breaking into sobs again.
Rey's voice was soft. "I know you don't mean that. Come on, I know you better and I've known you longer than anyone here. And I know mi amigita that I met in Mexico would never turn away her favorite luchador. Now let me in."
Lita let him in, giggling through her tears. "You always appeal to my better nature."
"And sometimes you make me forget you even have a better nature," Rey joked. "Now tell me what's going on. And tell me everything."
"Evolution...They've been threatening me, trailing me, playing mind games...The first week after ECW made our debut on RAW, Orton cornered me in a back hallway before the show. He said Triple H had a message, something about any beast will die if you cut off its head or cut out its heart. I didn't understand then, but I do now. They meant me. I guess technically I'm the head of this..."
"And I can assure you you're the heart, too," Rey told her. "None of us would have signed up for this if it hadn't been you who asked."
Lita started to protest, but Rey cut her off.
"It's true. And what you're saying makes sense. Evolution tried to single you out first. When you couldn't be intimidated, they started taking out people you obviously care about. They knew it would hurt you if they hurt Spike since you're so protective over him and he's so loyal to you."
"And what if they came for you next?" Lita whispered. "Or Tommy, or Stevie, or any of you." She shook her head fiercely. "I won't allow it. I may have started out as a leader, but now I'm just a liability. I've put you all in danger because of my pride. I demanded too much, I was too condescending, too arrogant. And it's everyone else they'll make pay." A quizzical look settled on her face. "Funny, though, that Triple H didn't try to take out Tommy first, since he's the one who has the title shot against him."
"You really think this has anything to do with the title shot?" Rey questioned. "Triple H is arrogant; he won't deign to see Tommy as a threat. No, mamacita, he's after you. You bruised his ego when you were out there in the ring, making demands, getting him and his little flunkies beat up. He may have even been able to deal with it too, except you're a woman, and that made it ten times worse for him."
"I'm going to walk away then," she told him resolutely. "I'll have someone else take over and I'll leave you alone. That way, I'll be the only one having to pay for my actions."
"Not a chance, hermosa," Rey grinned at her. "You're stuck with us. We'd never let you leave. Come here," he folded his arms around her and lay her head on his chest, stroking her hair. "You expect us to trust you and follow you, but you've gotta trust us. These guys would do anything for you, and you can't be afraid of that. Now tell me, how do you feel right now with me holding you?"
"Part of me feels trapped, nervous, flightful," Lita admitted. "But the other part feels safe, protected."
"Trust that part," Rey whispered. "Shut down the other."
Lita nodded and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to her old friend. He continued to stroke her hair soothingly. "Do you trust me, mamacita?" he whispered.
She nodded, a content smile spreading across her tear-streaked face.
"Lie down."
She sat up and looked at him, her eyes wide.
"Trust me. That's all I'm asking."
She laid back on the bed slowly, keeping her eyes on him the entire time.
"Close your eyes."
She did as she was told, her body rigid with tension.
"Tell me how you feel."
"Vulnerable," she whispered through gritted teeth. "Open to attack."
"It's still just me here, Li. It's just me, Rey-Rey." She felt the bed shift as she lowered himself over her, if she tried even a little to sit up, they'd be touching, and her eyes squeezed more tightly shut. "Trust me," he whispered again, his voice soft against her ear. She relaxed a little, but her muscles were still clenched stiff and she knew she'd be sore for it later.
She felt something, suddenly, or thought she felt something high on her cheekbone. It was a light, feathery, barely-there touch, and it took her a while to realize what it was. Butterfly kisses, moving gently all over her face. Rey's long eyeslashes touching her in the softest way possible.
She relaxed, her breathing became more even, and she drifted off into that middle ground right before sleep comes. Then, the kisses stopped, and she felt the bed shift again as Rey got away from over her and stood up on the floor. She fluttered her eyes open at him.
"What was that about?"
He looked away from her. "No se que estaba pensando..."
"Dammit, Rey, talk to me."
His breathing was heavy; his chest rose and fell dramatically. Small beads of perspiration dotted his brow. "You had to trust me. And I had to show you that I wouldn't take advantage of that trust. Even...even if I wanted to."
He laughed shortly. "I guess I'm having to trust you, trust our friendship to say this, but, I wanted so badly to touch you...to kiss you...but," he shrugged. "You were vulnerable, and you were hurting, and it wouldn't have been right for me to use that. Even if you had kissed me back, even if you had responded, you would have hated me for it later."
She shook her head in confusion. "I could never hate you, Rey."
"Maybe not, but you could resent me. Or resent what we did together if we weren't careful. And I couldn't stand for you to ever regret a second we spend together. I've seen the way he looks at you..."
"Who?"
"Of course you wouldn't pick up on it. All the guys look at you like that to some extent, so you probably assume it's just typical male behavior. But, I've seen the way he looks at you...and I see the way you look back at him. And you certainly don't look at all of us like that. And if you'll trust, if you'll be open, I think you two can be very happy together."
"Rey, I don't know what you're talking about."
"Up here, you don't," he tapped her forehead. "But down here," he grazed the skin over her heart with his fingertips. "You know."
"So what do you suggest I do?"
"Tell everyone what's going on. Show them you trust them, and they'll do the same for you. We're a group of people who have never had anything handed to us, never had a friend that didn't want something in return. So it's hard, to all come together now. But if you're our head, and you're our heart," he smiled at her. "I think we can do it."
He walked to her door, and Lita followed him.
"You get some sleep now, mamacita, and think about how you're going to explain everything to the rest of the team." He picked up her hand and laid a tender kiss on her palm. "I'll see you in the morning."
"'Night," Lita whispered as she shut the door, and went to get ready for her first peaceful sleep in a while.
Rob walked down the hall towards Lita's room, two half-pints of Ben & Jerry's Moosetracks icecream in hand as he practiced his apology speech. He looked up to see Lita's door open as she let Rey out of her room, and him kissing her hand tonight.
Rob felt his heart drop all the way down all eighteen floors to land somewhere in the lobby. He turned around and headed dejectedly back to his room.
"How could I have ever thought the perfect woman didn't already have someone? And even if she didn't, how could I have ever thought she'd have me?"
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I don't know why, but I really love this chapter. This, and the chapter I wrote in "There for You" where a drunk Raven tries to propose by slipping his keyring on Lita's finger are quite possibly my two favorite things I've ever written. I don't know why. Anyway, what matters is, tell me how YOU liked it!